"It is clear that he does not pray, who, far from uplifting himself to God, requires that God shall lower Himself to him, and who resorts to prayer not to stir the man in us to will what God wills, but only to persuade God to will what the man in us wills"

This quote by Thomas Aquinas talks to the idea that prayer ought to be used to align our will with God's will, rather than to attempt and convince God to align with our will. Aquinas is stating that those who pray with the intention of trying to get God to do what they want are not genuinely hoping. Instead, prayer must be used to help us understand and accept God's will, and to assist us strive to reside in accordance with it. Aquinas is stressing the importance of humbleness in prayer, and the requirement to acknowledge that God's will is greater than our own. He is likewise suggesting that prayer should be used to assist us grow closer to God, rather than to try and manipulate God into doing what we want.